Tennis

Larry Fine

Former champions Novak Djo-kovic and Maria Sharapova sparkled under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights to end a steamy first day that proved more than a little stressful for several of the US Open favourites on Monday.
Djokovic, who had won only two...

The young Spaniards in the Nexia BT European U-16 tournament, played recently at the Vittoriosa Lawn Tennis Club, have scooped the major honours.
The boys’ final, characterised with some very high quality play, was contested by Francisco...

Andy Murray defied his own body and Dutch opponent Robin Haase to reach the second round of the US Open last night.
In conditions that were hot but not extreme, the Scot struggled badly with cramp during the last two sets but survived to win 6-3...

Larry Fine

Serena Williams, who opens her quest for a third successive US Open title with a meeting against fellow African American Taylor Townsend tomorrow, said Arthur Ashe would have been proud.
On Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day that drew legions of young hopefuls...

Novak Djokovic has had so-so results in the run-up to the US Open, but he is not concerned. In fact, he is riding high as a newly-wed and a soon-to-be father.
The 27-year-old Serb tied the knot with his sweetheart Jelena Ristic four days after...

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic was handed a danger-filled path to the final of the US Open and a possible showdown with number two Roger Federer after yesterday’s draw for the season’s final grand slam.
Djokovic, who has advanced to the finals each of...

A resurgent Roger Federer has qualified for a record 13th consecutive ATP World Tour Finals in comfortable fashion, in marked contrast to 2013 when he squeezed in the week before the end-of-season tournament in London.
Federer, 33, claimed his...

Roger Federer’s hopes of adding to his record grand slam haul got a boost as he beat Spain’s David Ferrer 6-3 1-6 6-2 to win the Western and Southern Open title in Cincinnati on Sunday in the last key US Open tune-up event.
It marked the sixth...

Spain’s Rafa Nadal will not defend his US Open title this month after failing to recover fully from a wrist injury, the world number two said yesterday.
The 28-year-old left-hander sustained the injury during practice last month and has been...

Serena Williams finished her last US Open tune-up in style by blowing away Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-4 6-1 to win her first title at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati last night.
For the top-seeded American, the win marked her first in six...

Five times Cincinnati winner Roger Federer blunted Andy Murray’s attempt at a comeback at the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
The second-seeded Federer defeated Murray 6-3 7-5 after the Scot had taken a 4-1 lead in the second set.
Federer said...

Spain’s Tommy Robredo shocked world no.1 Novak Djokovic 7-6 7-5 on Thursday to move into the quarter-finals of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
For the 16th seeded Robredo the victory was his first over Djokovic since their first...

Roger Federer survived an opening-match fright by outlasting Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 7-6 5-7 6-2 on Wednesday to claim his 300th Masters Series win and reach the third round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Back in action after...

Serena Williams won a tense battle of US Open champions by beating Australia’s Samantha Stosur 7-6 7-6 to reach the third round of the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
After last week’s loss to sister Venus in the Montreal semi-finals,...

World number one Novak Djo-kovic needed three sets to get past Gilles Simon in the Western and Southern Open second round, but Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lost to Mikhail Youzhny in his opener two days after winning the Rogers Cup in Toronto,...

Andy Murray will begin his 2015 season at the Hopman Cup in Perth alongside fellow British number one Heather Watson.
Murray teamed up with Laura Robson at the mixed team tournament in 2010 and 2011, with the pair reaching the final on their first...

Rafa Nadal will decide by the end of this week whether he is fit enough to defend his US Open title after suffering a right wrist injury that ruled him out of two tune-up events, the Spaniard’s spokesman said yesterday. “He went for a check (up)...

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had one more surprise in his bag of upsets, beating second seeded Roger Federer 7-5 7-6 (3) to cap a scintillating march to the Rogers Cup title on Sunday night.
After knocking off world number one Novak Djokovic in...

Agnieszka Radwanska tamed Venus Williams 6-4 6-2 to win the Rogers Cup in Montreal last night, the third seeded Pole setting herself up as a player to watch at the US Open.
It was the first win of the season for Radwanska but provides a timely...

Venus Williams upset little sister Serena 6-7(2) 6-2 6-3 yesterday to register the first win over her top ranked sibling in five years and move into the final of Rogers Cup in Montreal.
It marked the 25th time the illustrious tennis siblings had...